Thursday, October 31, 2013

What Are the Best Gifts for Kids That Are Age Appropriate?

If you're planning to attend a kid's birthday party, or if Christmas is around the corner, you may need to start thinking about finding the best gifts for kids that are age appropriate. Below we have listed a brief summary of the two best gift ideas for kids aged between one and eight years old to take a lot of the hard work out of the selection process.Best Gifts for 1 year olds:The two best gifts for kids of this age are Plush Toys and a Bucket and Spade. The important features to look for in Plush Toys are softness, short fur, flashing lights, special sounds, and preferably a big smile with engaging eyes on the toy. The talking Elmo is often the most popular of the plush toys, but is at the more expensive end. In terms of a bucket and spade, go for a small set at this age with a short handle on the spade, so they can dig little holes and build sandcastles. If sand is flying in every direction from the spade, the kit will usually have a small rake in it as well which you can swap for the spade. A bucket and spade is one of the best value gifts that you can buy for kids, typically costing under $10.Best Gifts for 2 year olds:The two best gifts for a two year old are a Kid's Car and a Bubble Machine. A small plastic kid's car where children can open the door, sit in and push around with their feet is a big winner. Hopefully there is also a horn for kids to toot, a key to start the car and a petrol cap for when they feel it's time to refuel. Kids will have a year or two of fun with this, whereas many other toys for this age group are played with for only hours. The second idea of a Bubble Machine is an inexpensive present (Try to avoid clothing as kids often don't appreciate these gifts and parents may have a certain style they like for their children. Disappointment is a high probability if you pick something here.A bargain is often a good buy, but be aware that buying something cheap can leave you feeling awkward on the day the gift is opened.Unfortunately bigger is usually better particularly for younger kids.Stick to the recommended age for gifts on the package. They are often there for reasons unknown until you have opened the present.Remember the batteries for an electric toy. Most toys come with batteries not included.Re-gifting a bad kid's gift that your child received, while environmentally friendly, often just passes the problem onto someone else and may leave you with an awkward feeling. More often than not, this is a bad idea.If you still not sure that what you bought is right, take the receipt with you as a backup. Parents take gifts back all the time. Yours will not be the first one.Hopefully this list has given you lots of ideas and plenty of tips, so you can select the right kids present that is exciting and minimizes the risk of heading back to the toy store for something else.